Essential Workers Strike, Rally and Demand Their Rights

After going on strike at 7 am on Thursday morning, McDonald's workers from the I-95 service plaza stores in Branford traveled to the State Capitol for a rally with Recovery for All demanding that essential workers receive hazard pay, expansion of benefits, healthcare, and union rights.

The workers went on strike at the stores run by Michell Enterprises and Golden Hawk to protest union-busting intimidation and reprisals.

Gathered with allies on the north steps of the State Capitol, the McDonald's workers demanded that Governor Lamont use federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to provide hazard pay for all essential workers. They were joined by legislators, community groups and organizations representing workers in fast food, grocery stores, health care, and education.

“All throughout the pandemic, essential workers were called heroes, but they have never received fair compensation for their heroic efforts,” the union said. “While Connecticut’s 14 billionaires increased their wealth by $12.6 billion over the last year, essential workers risked their lives to keep society afloat. Working mostly for low wages and benefits, essential workers deserve to be fairly compensated for their sacrifices.”

Rochelle Palache, Vice President of 32BJ SEIU emphasized, “All essential workers, including 32BJ’s 5,000 Connecticut members, deserve hazard pay for their risks to themselves and their families during the COVID pandemic.”

“In addition,” she said, “the essential workers at the service plazas face problems that COVID has only exacerbated, increasing the need for intervention by the Lamont administration. Over the past year, workers have suffered from union-busting reprisals and lax Covid precautions that add to the longstanding misery of low wages, lousy benefits, and biased treatment.”

The rally called upon the Governor to step forward and demand that all the concessions allow workers to have a permanent collective voice through a union.

Essential workers in health care also rallied with allies at the capitol on Thursday to secure funding for livable wages and benefits for long term caregivers in group homes and home care.

Bringing their message to the Legislative Office Building, 1199 SEIU New England emphasized that “Connecticut’s long-term care workers are majority women and Black, Latino and immigrant workers. It’s time for our long-term care system to do away with poverty wages and to protect quality services for the elderly and people with disabilities.”

Earlier this month nursing home workers in 1199 made historic racial and economic justice advancements with a path to $20 per hour minimum wage, improved benefits and retirement options. However, group home and home care workers continue to seek additional funding for the services they provide and the people they care for every day.

Speaking at the LOB, home care worker Cynthia Johnson called on the governor and legislature to “hear our pain, hear our struggles, and take action to make sure PCAs and those we care for can live in dignity.”

“All we want to do is to be able to feed and provide for our families without having to work three jobs in one week to make ends meet! All we want is to be able to live and pay our bills securely without fear of eviction or hunger! “ said Johnson.

“We work hard everyday for the individuals we care for. We are calling on Gov. Ned Lamont, legislators, and elected officials to treat us with the dignity and respect we deserve. Make sure that we, all PCAs of this union and of this state, receive the necessary funding within the state budget and make sure our contract for the next four years includes a $20 an hour minimum and other key protections!” she concluded.

Health professionals at the UConn Health Center in Farmington also picketed this week for a fair contract. Stymied by the refusal of Governor Lamont's administration to negotiate a fair contract for nurses, front line workers and all of the members of UHP, the AFT CT affiliate, they spoke out. In an action along with members of other unions standing in solidarity, they took to the street in front of the health center to make their presence felt and their voices heard.

Essential workers in the hospitality sector called on the legislature to pass SB 858 Worker Recall legislation. Having faced widespread unemployment during the pandemic, they called on the legislature to pass SB 658, which would guarantee worker recall by seniority, before the end of legislative session next week.

The state senate has voted in favor of the bill, which now heads to the house. The bill would mandate that those who were hit hardest by COVID's economic devastation would be the first in line to get their jobs back when work returns.

Many hospitality workers are people of color, women and immigrants. “Worker recall is a MUST for racial justice and a fair recovery,” said Rev. Scott Marks director of New Haven Rising. “We cannot change the maps of segregated development if workers who live in low-income neighborhoods, and were laid-off due to no fault of their own, cannot get their careers back.”

Unite Here Local 217 has launched a letter writing campaign to members of the house to bring the bill to the floor and pass it before the end of session.

“I’m asking you to go to this website right now, to email your state representative. We cannot win our freedom unless we stand together and make our voices heard loud and clear,” said Marks.

SB 658 was introduced by State Senator Martin Looney, and has the support of the leaders of the Labor Committee, Sen Julie Kushner and Rep Robyn Porter. Other co-sponsors of the bill include Sen. Jorge Cabrera, Sen. Rick Lopes, Rep. David Michel, Rep Kevin Ryan, Rep. Roland Lemar, Rep. Edwin Vargas, Rep. Pat Dillon, Rep. Brian Smith, Rep. Juan Candelaria, and Rep. Josh Elliott.